ever hear of the NYC rubberroom?...some put it as high as 700 teachers....from an article:
NYC Teachers Paid to Do Nothing?
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When a student acts up in class, the teacher usually sends them to the Principal’s office. But what happens to a New York City teacher or school administrator when they are accused of misconduct? They get sent to so-called “rubber rooms” during the investigation. The time they spend waiting there could be weeks, months or even years.
The 700 or so teachers can practice yoga, work on their novels, paint portraits of their colleagues — pretty much anything but school work. They have summer vacation just like their classroom colleagues and enjoy weekends and holidays through the school year.
Sounds like a holiday, but to many teachers waiting and facing accusations it’s not.
“Most people in that room are depressed,” said Jennifer Saunders, a high school teacher who was in a reassignment center from 2005 to 2008.
The New York City re-assignment centers have existed since the 1990s, but according to the Associated Press, “the number of employees assigned to them has ballooned since Bloomberg won more control over the schools in 2002.”
Because teacher’s union contracts make it difficult to fire them, teachers waiting in the rubber room collect their full salaries which, according to the Department of Education, ends up costing taxpayers $65 million a year.
It’s a battle between the city and the teacher’s unions, students and teachers. And who knows how things will turn out.
Sounds like the UAW and their Job Banks. A “laid Off” union member gets put into a Job Bank where they draw 85% - 90% of their regular wages and keep their benefits. If they get an offer for a job in another locale they can either take it or turn it down and stay in the Job Bank. Of course, it is the employer who pays for this and by necessity they pass it on in their prices to us. As always, we are at the end of the line when it comes to paying.